1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a method for knitting an elastomeric yarn into a circularly knitted fabric.
2. Description of Related Art
It is highly desirable to incorporate elastomeric yarns into knitted fabrics intended for the creation of garments. For example, the elastomeric yarn can provide a degree of elasticity to the knitted fabric, which is useful in many garments such as socks, brassieres, panties, underwear, bathing suits, leotards, and the like.
Generally, incorporating such yarns into a knitted structure as knitted stitches, as opposed to laying-in the yarn, is difficult due to the need to knit these yarns under tension. Further, incorporating such yarns into a knitted structure as knitted stitches is particularly difficult when using circular knitting machines such as those commercially available from Santoni S.p.A. (e.g., Santoni's SM8 knitting machine).
A prime difficulty arises at the start and finish of the knitting process when the elastomeric yarn is introduced and subsequently taken out of the knitting sequence. This difficulty arises from the fact that at the finish of a knitting sequence, the elastomeric yarn has to be severed, but held under tension in readiness for reintroduction at the start of the next knitting sequence.
Prior suction holding mechanisms for nonelastomeric yarns have not proven effective for elastomeric applications. In addition, prior mechanical clamping or holding systems for holding severed elastomeric yarns have proven to be overly expensive and complex.
Difficulties are also encountered in reliably introducing the elastic yarn into the needles for take-up at the start of a knitting sequence. In order to compensate for this difficulty, it is common to slow the speed of the knitting machine. Slowing the knitting machine allows the elastic yarn to be effectively incorporated into the fabric, which has not been possible at normal machine speeds where the elastic yarn tends to pull free from the fabric.
In view of these difficulties, it is common practice to either only introduce bare elastomeric yarn at the beginning of a knitting cycle and knit bare elastomeric yarn throughout the entire cycle, or to have reduced productivity as a result of the slowed machine speeds.
However, there is a continuing desire for apparatus and methods that can provide for the selective elastomeric yarn knitting, while addressing one or more of the aforementioned deficiencies of the prior art.